Return to Ariadne
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: Yue's finally got her life in order and things are looking up. But something's going on in the Magical World that threatens everyone and Yue may find just what she needs in the chaos. SPECIAL GIFT INSIDE FOR KONOSETSU FANS!
1. Chapter 1

**Kailor: So! There is FAR too little love for Yue/Emily! It's quite depressing really. So I have taken it upon myself to dedicate some devotion to them!**

**Naruto: Review! As always, more reviews, more updates!**

**Nuriko: And don't worry. We're working on the ENDING of Sword and the Needle as well! Please enjoy this new story!**

The lake pushed back against her paddle and Yue pulled it in, letting her boat float.

"Not tired already, are you?" Negi's canoe passed her. "We've only been out for a little while."

Yue laughed. "You know me, Sensei. Always tired." She leaned back in the tiny boat, stretching. "But no, that's not it. Just looking at all we've gotten done over the last few months."

She peered across the chopping water. Library Island rose before them, huge and a little intimidating. On the shore behind the library, where the lake lapped against smooth stones and white sand, sat a cabin. It was half wood and half cobblestone, raised up a few feet off the ground. The stairs led up to a large deck with a table and a few rocking chairs. The roof sloped up from the wood half to the cobblestone, making two stories on that side. The cobblestone half held Yue's living quarters. The wood was her office. She, Haruna, Asuna, Setsuna, and Negi had been working on it for four months now, preparing it so that she could move out of the little office in Mahora Academy. They had built the whole thing from the bottom up with a combination of magic, hammered fingers, and pep talks. But now it was finished. Perfect. Hers.

"It looks great. You did wonderfully, Yue-san." Negi laid back in his own canoe. "Your friends from the magical world will love it."

Yue nodded. She had made space for her friends from Ariadne on purpose when she'd had Haruna draw up the plans. She flopped her arm over the side, skimming the water with her fingers. "Sucks that won't be for six months now. Stupid maintenence on the gateports."

Negi sighed. "I agree. I was planning on going visit the Magical World, then suddenly it was closed. But I can wait six months. My dad's here. Rakan-san is here. There's still plenty to do here. New classes starting soon." He laughed. "It's so weird teaching students that aren't you guys." Negi's phone began to buzz. He shifted to pull it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Hello? Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm at Yue's still. We just finished actually. It looks great! Oh, you are? Good, good. That's great. Okay, see you soon." He hung up.

Yue opened one eye, glancing at him. "Akira-chan?"

His face red, he nodded. "Yes." He turned like something on the other side of the lake was suddenly very interesting. "She's on her way here with Asuna-san."

"Then we'd better get back to shore. Nodoka should be here in a minute too."

"Race you!" Negi grabbed his paddle.

Yue picked up her paddle, sighing. "Negi-sensei. You're like fifteen now, aren't you? What grown boy still asks to-" _Whoosh. _Her canoe flew past him, a trail of magic waves behind it.

Negi laughed, following suit.

The canoes bumped against the sand and Yue and Negi climbed out, laughing and debating who had won. As they pulled their canoes up to the cabin and stored them under the porch, Nodoka's voice reached them. "Yue! Negi-sensei!" They looked up.

Nodoka, Haruna, and Konoka were coming out of the back door of the library. Yue waved, still shocked at how tall everyone had gotten.

"Setchan and everyone else is on their way," Konoka said. "They're all very excited to see the place finished!"

Yue felt her face turning red. "Everyone else? Like, the whole class? I didn't-"

"No, I did," Negi smiled. "You deserve to have your work praised. Besides, we're your friends, Yue-san."

Yue mouthed wordlessly as the group filed into the house.

"Oooh, this is better than what I drew!" Haruna whistled. "And that's saying something!"

Inside, the wood part was all wood, like a traditional cabin, and it had a small lobby with a drink machine that had odd mixtures of juices. Yue was pretty sure she was the only one who would ever be brave enough to use it, but whatever. It looked professional. On the other side of the lobby was a small restroom and the door to her office. The office was piled high with books and scrolls and cauldrons with odd potions. There was just enough room for her to get around her desk and for clients to enter and sit in front of it. All over the walls were pictures of class 3-A and the Magical World. On her desk was a single picture frame with two pictures sharing it: one of Nodoka, Yue, Haruna, and Konoka on the very shore of Library Island where her house now stood, and the other was a picture of her fellow knights of Ariadne, Emily, Beatrix, and Collet.

A door just inside and to the right of the main entrance led to Yue's house. They walked into an expansive living room that doubled as a library. The floor was gray marble, flecked with black and white. Bookshelves reached to the sloped ceiling, full of leather bound volumes. The shelves traced the room, covering the half wall above the kitchen. A sliding ladder was against the far wall to their left. There were two couches and an armchair, all dark red. On the other side of the living room was the kitchen, also marble. An open bar allowed the chef to see into the living room. Haruna pointed to the shelves above the kitchen. "Your bedroom on the other side of that wall?"

"Yeah, upstairs." Yue led them into the kitchen where a door opened to a spiral staircase. The group trotted up after her, oohing and aahing appropriately. Upstairs was much bigger than they'd expected. There was a roomy hallway with plush, dark red, carpet. Doors on both sides of the hallway were open. Behind the first door on the left was a small bathroom with a shower. On the right, was a guest bedroom. The dark red color scheme continued in the sheets and pillows of the bed. The second room on the left was laundry room. Across the hall from it was another guest bedroom. At the end of the hall there was only one door. Yue led them in and Haruna whistled again. "That's it. I'm moving in!"

Yue's bedroom was the largest, a few bookshelves lining the right wall. The left was a large double-plated window that overlooked the lake. Thick dark red curtains hung at either end of the window. The bed was huge, piled with comforters of all colors. On her bedside table was a framed picture of class 3-A. There was a TV on the wall opposite the bed, but it had yet to be plugged in. Next to the TV was a door to the master bathroom which held a massive hottub.

Konoka threw herself on Yue's bed while Haruna went to push every button she could find on the tub. "This place is amazing!" The healer sighed happily. "I want you to build Setschan's and my house. I want it just like this one. But we'll only need the one bedroom." She giggled, stretching out on the pile of comforters.

Yue shrugged. "Pay me enough and I will. Speaking of Setsuna-san. Has she...well?"

"Confessed her feelings!" Haruna helpfully added from the bathroom. There was the sound of a jet turning on and Haruna gurgled incoherently. Nodoka rushed to save her.

Konoka's face looked a little more pink. "No, no confession. You know Setchan. Always the stern warrior type."

Negi laughed. "True. Why don't you confess then, Konoka-san?"

"Because I want to hear her say it first!" Konoka huffed.

Haruna emerged from the bathroom, toweling her face off. "More pressure than I thought in those things. Damn, this place is nice, Yue. Did well for yourself!"

"Hey, anybody home?" Asuna's voice echoed up the stairs.

"Up here, Asuna-san!" Negi ran to show her the way. He returned with Asuna, Akira, Chisame, Setsuna, Kaede, Ku, and Ayaka in tow. Konoka bounced to Setsuna's side and kissed her cheek. The swordsman's face turned a violent shade of magenta.

"Whoa, whoa!" Yue halted the group. "You really did invite everyone, didn't you?"

"We wanted to see the house, Yue-chan!" Asuna clapped her on the shoulder. "Awesome job! Too many books for my taste, but I can dig it. Look, even Chisame-chan came!"

Chisame grumbled under her breath, but nodded politely enough to Yue.

"Back to the living room then," Nodoka laughed. "I don't think everyone will fit up here."

An hour later, the entire class 3-A was in Yue's living room and kitchen, chatting animatedly and admiring the house. Yue stood at the kitchen bar, watching Chizune and Kotaro cook.

"No, no, Kota-kun. You want to add the seasoning after the sauce starts to thicken. It'll set it in better. Natsumi-chan will expect her husband to know how to cook!"

"Awww, Chizu-nechan, quit saying stuff like that. Geez." The dog-boy(if you could call a five foot ten fifteen year old a boy) was red in the face and kept glancing behind him to make sure Natsumi wasn't walking in on their conversation.

True to the old ways of 3-A, they turned the night into a huge house-warming party. At four in the morning, Yue stood in her living room, shaking her head at her old classmates. All of them were passed out around the room. They had pulled sleeping bags from who-knows-where, apparently having planned to stay all along. Some had piled up on the couches in little dog-piles. Negi and Kotaro were asleep in the far corner, back to back, to fend off girls she was sure. Haruna was splayed out, Nodoka curled against her leg and snoring gently. Asuna's elbow was dug into Ayaka's cheek and the blonde's leg was flung across the redhead.

She picked her way among the sleeping bodies toward the stairs. As she stepped over Asakura's outflung arms, she saw Konoka and Setsuna tucked into a single sleeping bag. Setsuna was on her back, looking completely relaxed for once. Konoka was wrapped around her, mumbling about meat buns in her sleep. Yue smiled. Everyone seemed so happy. She climbed the stairs and made her way down to her bedroom. It was her first night in the house and she was kinda glad that she wasn't alone. But in her room, where the window stared out over dark waves and distant shores, she sighed.

The house was done and gorgeous. Her business was thriving. Her friends were all here to congratulate her. And yet, at four in the morning, Yue pulled the curtains across the window and climbed into bed alone. She snuggled under the excessive amount of comforters and wrapped her arms around her pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kailor: Yue got one of my dream houses. Lucky girl! Hope you enjoy this newest installment! Reviews appreciated!**

_A week later..._

Yue groaned as her phone began to ring. She rolled off of the couch, dropping the book she'd been sleeping under. After a few lunges toward the coffee table, she managed to grab the phone. Flipping it open, she collapsed back onto the floor. "Magical P.I., Yue Ayase."

"Yue-san."

She sat up at the higher pitch in Negi's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Ala Alba is being called to meet at the headmaster's office. I'm nearly there. I can summon you when I land. Oh, and I have a gift for you. Well, we do."

"Uh, okay," Yue stood, bounding up the stairs to her room. "Yeah you can summon me. How long?"

"Five minutes?"

"I'll be ready." She hung up, smiling at the thought that he had finally learned a little patience. She remembered the times he had summoned Asuna without asking if she was ready. She grabbed her satchel, which was stocked with the kiddy wand Negi had given her, a litany of potions of her own creation, a set of lockpicks, a pocket knife, and a magic gun she'd bought off of Yuna, along with a few other odds and ends she may need in a pinch. She quickly changed into a clean pair of black capris and a red button-up. Her pactio card went into her chest pocket, as usual. She threw on her gray trench coat, her wizard's hat, and her satchel. Just as she felt the tug of the summoning, she grabbed her staff.

A second later she was blinking around at the hallway of Mahora Academy. Negi and Akira stood before her. Negi was holding a small black belt pouch. Yue pointed to it. "Is that my gift?"

"Yes," Negi smiled. "But Nodoka-san made me promise I wouldn't give it to you until she and Setsuna-san arrived. It was her idea and Setsuna-san got it for you. I've been looking after it the last few days. We were going to come over today to surprise you, but..." He motioned to the door behind him. The headmaster's office. Suddenly his eyes turned towards the ceiling and he said, "Uh huh." He pulled out his stack of pactio cards. "Got to summon the others. Excuse me." He moved down the hall a bit.

Yue looked at Akira. Completely deadpan, she said, "So have you confessed yet?"

Akira's face lit up like a firework. "I-I-uh-what-I-"

"I'll take that as a no," Yue laughed. "It's fine. Take your time. Pretty much everyone has accepted that he's yours. Though you better watch out for Makie-san. You know she's a little psycho."

Akira, still red, glanced at Negi's back. "What about Class rep-san? Wasn't she the biggest competitor for his attention?"

Yue glanced at Negi too. Ayaka had just appeared before him, Asuna and Asakura right behind her. Yue smiled as Ayaka turned to scold Asuna about something she'd said. "I don't think Class rep's gonna be a problem for you anymore."

Akira was silent a moment as Konoka, Setsuna, Eva, and Kaede appeared. "What about you?"

"Me?" Yue looked surprised. "You know, I've thought a lot about that. I'm not sure I ever really loved him like I thought I did. Don't get me wrong, I definitely love him. But...more as an idol than anything else. I think...I think maybe it wasn't that I wanted to be _with _him. I wanted to be _like _him." She smiled. "I still consider him my first love, but don't worry. You'll have no fight from me, Akira-san."

Akira nodded thoughtfully, turning her red face away as Negi approached with the rest of the group.

"What did I miss?" He was still holding the black pouch.

"Not a thing, sensei." Yue leaned on her staff, smiling at Akira.

Nodoka and Setsuna joined the redheaded boy. Nodoka was nearly bouncing with excitement. "Do you have it? Have you given it to her yet?"

"No, no. I did promise, Nodoka-san." Negi held up the pouch.

Chamo, from Setsuna's shoulder, said, "By the way, I'm the one who told them where and how to get it. You're welcome, Yuecchi."

Yue took the pouch. She nearly dropped it when she felt the thing inside move. "What in the-" She opened it and reached in. Something small and furry touched her hand and she fought the impulse to throw it. Negi and Nodoka wouldn't get her something disgusting or dangerous.

She slowly removed her hand, peering at the tiny gray thing curled up in her palm. It's furry little head lifted towards her, wobbling uncertainly on a neck too small for it's round little cranium. The eyes were still closed, little tufts of white fur at the corners of them. It's body was curled up in a tiny ball. It's thick, pointed tail thumped against her hand as it tried to stand. She almost couldn't handle the cute. "What is it?"

"It's an elf! Like me," Chamo boasted. "Sort of. It's an otter-elf."

Yue's eyes were like plates. "It's an otter? You guys got me an otter?"

Negi laughed. Nodoka said, "Magister Magi's have partners, but they also have familiars. Like Chamo-san. When he grows up, he'll be just like Chamo-san!"

"Well," Setsuna said. "Hopefully not _just _like Chamo-san."

"Hey!" the ermine protested.

"But he's yours now, Yue-san," Setsuna carried on, like she hadn't heard him. "He's still a baby so you'll have to take good care of him for the next month or so until he starts talking. Do you like him?"

"Are you kidding?" Yue stroked the creature's tiny chin. It reached up with it's tiny forepaws and grabbed her finger. "I love him!"

"Where's mine?" Konoka whined, staring adoringly at the little furball. "I'm going to be a Magister Magi too!"

Negi and Asuna glanced at each other, then to Setsuna. The swordswoman smiled. "You've ruined your birthday present now, Ojosama."

"Kono-chan!" Konoka corrected. "And noooo, I'm sorry! I take it back! Don't ruin my birthday present!"

"It's okay, Konoka," Asuna patted her friend's shoulder. "She got you something else too. Your familiar is from all of us. Setsuna?"

The swordsman opened her jacket. "You can come out now."

The cloth under her left arm stirred. A clawed, black paw reached around Setsuna's side, grabbing her shirt. Then a fuzzy creature pulled itself around and climbed up to Setsuna's shoulder. It was a little bigger than Chamo and it's large ears, the little spots above its eyes, and its chin were white. The legs were black and the body red. The tail was thick and had black stripes all down it. It sat up, raising one of it's front paws in tentative greeting. "H-hello, Ojosama."

The creature's little eyes bulged out as Konoka seized it and Setsuna in a tight hug. "A red panda! Oh, Setchan!" The healer then leapt on Negi and Asuna. "All of you! Ahhh!" She realeased them, taking the little panda into her arms. "What's your name?"

"I don't have one yet, Ojosama," the panda said. "You have to name me."

Konoka turned narrowed eyes on Setsuna. "She calls me Ojosama."

Setsuna's cheeks turned red. "Uh, well."

Konoka told the panda, "You will be...Konosetsu!"

Now Setsuna's face was really red. "K-k-k-wha-uh."

"Why Konosetsu?" Asuna said.

Behind her, Asakura looked at Ayaka. "Am I the only one who feels like we're leaning on the fourth wall here?"

"Because," Konoka said, leaning into Setsuna while she hugged Konosetsu close. "She's kinda like our baby, right?"

Negi hurried to catch Setsuna as she swooned. "B-ba-baby? Our? Kono-chan and my-"

"So you're going to call Setchan 'Papa', okay, Konosetsu?" Konoka ignored her partner's mumbled jibberish.

Konosetsu clapped her paws. "Of course, Ojosama."

"Call me Mamma."

"Yes, Mamma."

Setsuna was nearly dead from embarrassment. Negi was fanning her as Misora jokingly prayed over her "body".

Yue turned from her friends to the tiny bundle in her hands. He was sucking softly on her fingertip, his little oval head pressed against her palm. She's have to think hard about a name for him. Nothing jumped to mind.

Negi tapped the pouch in Yue's other hand. "There's another little bag in there with a bottle and instructions on raising an otter-elf. But we thought for now this would be a great carrying pouch for you to use, until he can move about on his own."

"Thank you, Negi-sensei. Nodoka. Setsuna-san." Yue carefully placed her familiar back in his pouch and removed her belt, threading it through the two straps on back of the pouch. As she buckled it back, positioning the pouch at her left hip, the headmaster's door opened.

"Well, it seems you're all having a good time out here." Konoemon smiled around at them all.

Konoka immediately shoved Konosetsu in his face. "Look, Grandpa! You're a great-grandpa now! This is me and Setchan's baby!"

Setsuna swooned again. Asuna and Negi seized her by the arms, holding her in place.

Konoemon raised his eyebrows. "I didn't expect my first great-grandchild to be so furry." He chuckled, stroking his beard. "But to the reason I brought you all here. I'm a little glad you're all having a good day. It's one thing to make a good day bad and quite another to make a bad day worse. Please come in."

Yue exchanged a glance with Haruna. Ala Alba filed into the office, surrounding the headmaster's desk. Yue found herself between Nodoka and Ayaka.

Shizuna-sensei was standing in the corner, Takahata-sensei beside her. The two looked grim, not offerring their usual smiles. Her heart began to beat faster. What was going on that the whole of Ala Alba was being called in?

Konoemon took a seat at his desk. "Please, everyone sit. That will make it easier for all to see." He waited until they were settled. "Now, as you all know, the gateport to the Magical World has been closed for four months now for maintenance and shouldn't reopen until six months from now." He reached into his drawer and pulled out a letter. Yue recognized the seal on it immediately. _Ariadne_. Konoemon continued, "When the gateport is closed the connection between our lands is extremely fragile. Sending anything through it without completely opening at least one side is very dangerous. It could snap the bond entirely. I believe this is why Headmistress Seras sent only a letter in place of a person. It was the safest bet, though a very risky one still. This letter could have fallen into anyone's hands. Luckily, Donet McGuiness happened to be at the gateport when it came through. Understanding it must be of utmost importance, she quickly brought it here."

"What's in the letter, Grandpa?" Konoka asked.

"Yeah, why would someone risking breaking the bridge between the worlds for a letter?" Asuna said.

Konoemon held up a hand to stop the other questions that started to spill forth. "I believe once you have all seen the message, you will understand." He placed the letter on the edge of the table and hit play.

A small hologram popped up of Headmistress Seras of Ariadne. Yue felt her blood run cold. One of the headmistress's horns was broken off at the tip. Her face was dirty, her usual suit replaced by a magical knight's uniform. Her cheek was spattered with something that looked horrifyingly like blood.

"I hope this has gotten to you, Konoemon-san," she said. She took a deep breath, then plunged on. "I know the risk I'm taking even sending this. Getting it to you will be even worse. But it needs to be done. The gateport being closed for maintenance...is a lie."


	3. Chapter 3

**Kailor: Quick lesson in pronunciation. Se should actually have an accent over the 'e' but I'm too lazy to make my computer do it. It is pronounced (Shay). And Muirin is (Mwir-in). Gaelic names can be confusing, but there's a little bit of knowledge for you, dear readers. As always, reviews are appreciated. Enjoy.**

Seras moved closer, the hologram zooming in on her face. "Far to the east is the country of Selva. They weren't a part of the last war, nor have they ever been a threat to anyone. However, a few years ago, a new leader took over. Se Muirin. He is the nephew of the last ruler there. Until four months ago, no one even knew that much. But now his name is infamous, as is Selva. Four months ago, the governor-general of Ostia, Senator Ricardo, and Rakan-sama went to the Old World to visit Nagi-sama. I had a suspicion then that something wasn't right. That many high-end powers leaving at once? But they assurred me they would only be a week."

She sighed. "But the second the gateport took them, the guards turned on us. Selva had infiltrated the gateport's protectors. They seized the gateport, sent through a message about damage on our side, and sealed it. Before anyone even realized what was going on, Selva had taken over all the way to Ostia. I don't know how their army is so large, since they are such a small country, but Megalomesembria has fallen. They have set up base at Ostia, effectively taking control of the world. They advance as we speak. Only Ariadne, Elysium, and part of the Hellas Empire still stand against them. Princess Theodora and I have managed to salvage a sizeable army. But the Selvens are...something is off about them. They don't fall as normal men do. So we have decided this is our best chance. We are uncertain if the other side of the gateport has been captured as well, but we have to take the risk."

On Ayaka's other side, Yue saw Asuna's hand grip the blonde's arm. In front of her, Konoka and Setsuna held hands, Konoka's other hand over her mouth.

Seras blinked suspiciously wet eyes. "We need help. This may very well never get to you, but if it does, please. Send help."

The hologram flickered out.

As Ala Alba's voices began to ring out, Konoemon raised his hand. "Silence, please." When they had settled back down, he said, "There is something you all need to understand. The way the gateports work is that neither one can be completely closed while the other is open. When both are open, they work on their own. Transfers are immediate. But if both are closed and you open only one, it takes an extreme amount of power and concentration to keep the one open. It also forces the opposite side to crack open a bit. So to get this letter through, Seras must have broke through the enemy's guard, forced the port open, then held it open for at least five minutes. She must have brought a small force to watch her back as she did it. Still, it is an incredible feat. And all of that, for just a hope at a chance of reaching help." Konoemon peered around at them all. "Even if we had no loyalty to Mundus Magicus, knowing what had to be done to send this letter here, I would be obliged to help."

"Headmaster-sensei," Negi said. "What do we need to do? Shall we-"

"Now, now, Negi-kun." Konoemon cut him off. "Too quick. I am sending as many of our strongest as I can. All of the magic teachers will go, except for Seruhiko-kun and Gandolfini-kun. They will stay here with me. Nagi-kun and Rakan-kun went on a mission to America two days ago and no one has heard from them since. But we will continue to try and reach them. As soon as we can, we will send them through." He stroked his beard. "But we will need you, Negi-kun. Takahata-kun will hold this side open as you pass through. Once everyone else has made it through, to watch your back, you and he will open the ports together. However," he raised one finger. "Though I have hired Ala Alba as security for Mahora Academy, I cannot force any of you to go along on this mission. You will be given time to make a decision. I understand some of you feel like you have to do this." His eyes wandered to Asuna. "But this will be a very dangerous mission. Anyone who can capture Megalomesembria cannot be underestimated. Think hard about this. It is not something to walk into without thought."

The class was silent, glancing at each other, none willing to speak first. Yue saw Negi and Asuna look at each other. Their decision was made. So was Yue's. She kept thinking of the headmaster's words: _"She must have brought a small force to watch her back..." _That must mean her knights. Were her friends in that small force? Did they escape after the letter went through? Or...

"Ayaka-kun," Konoemon said. The blonde looked up, surprised. "I must ask you, though, if we could use the jet you have at your disposal."

"O-of course," Ayaka stammered. "I can have it ready within the hour."

"Make it two hours, Ayaka-kun. I promised time to think things over. Have your people land it in the field under the World Tree."

"Yes, Headmaster-sensei."

"The rest of you, go. Think. Decide. Then either pack...or prepare to say goodbye."

XXXXXXX

As Yue mounted her staff to fly home, Negi called to her. She glanced back. He stood beside Akira, nearly her height these days, looking more and more like a story book hero each day. "I'll see you under the World Tree."

It wasn't a question. She grinned. "See you there, Sensei."

As she landed in front of her house, she stopped, peering up at the hardwork and sweat of the last four months. While her friends had been fighting a war, she'd been building bookshelves, sleeping in a drifting canoe on the lake, and watching reruns of her favorite TV shows late into the night. Her stomach clenched with guilt and she chided herself for it. It's not like she could have known. It wasn't her fault... But that didn't stop her from feeling angry with the beautiful wood of the porch, or the carefully laid cobblestones on her side of the house.

She let herself in, racing upstairs to pack. Using a shrinking spell, she managed to fit a few changes of clothes, a bandolier of her own potions, a set of throwing knives Kaede had given her for her last birthday, and a short sword with the symbol of Ariadne on the handguard, into her satchel. By the time she was done, she still had an hour to wait before she even had to leave. She made her way back down the stairs, hating the silence in her house. She sat on the couch, grabbing her staff. She began to tap it on the floor, watching the crescent moon atop it shimmer.

Her left hip gave a small squeak.

She sat back, opening the little black pouch. She pulled out the little ball of fur and the cloth baggy with the bottle and paper inside. The paper was covered in Negi's careful scrawl.

_"Yue-san, I do hope you enjoy your gift. Nodoka-san was very insistent that we get him for you now instead of waiting until he was older. Otter-elves are wonderful companions and very magical beasts. Like Chamo-kun has the special ability to gauge people's affections for one another, your otter also has a special ability. He can control water to a certain degree, depending on his age. The older he gets, the stronger it will be. Right now, yours can probably make a few waves in the lake. After about a month, their magic fully kicks in and they begin speaking-pretty much overnight-and they have better control of their powers. For now, you must feed him twice a day and soak him in warm water once a day. The bottle included in this bag is enchanted so that it will automatically refill with the special milk Otter-elves need. We all sincerely hope you like him. Negi, Nodoka, and Setsuna."_

Yue peered at the little bundle in her palm. He wouldn't be safe, going into a war zone on her hip. Maybe one of the class would stay behind and she could leave him with them. But just as she decided that was the best course of action, the little otter's head lifted towards her, shaking on his too small neck, and he opened his eyes, blinking up at her. Something in her stomach clenched and she knew she couldn't leave him. He was her familiar. Her first step to becoming a Magister Magi. "You know," she told him, as if he could understand. "I'm not even sure I can be a Magister Magi. I'm not as powerful as Negi-sensei. Or Konoka-san. I wasn't born with my magic. A pactio probably wouldn't even work with me as the Magister."

The otter's head dipped dangerously close to her palm, then rose shakily back up to peer at her.

"But even if I can't...I guess I've got you." She scratched under his tiny chin and he made a small snuffling sound. "You need a name, don't you, little guy?" Stretching out on the couch, she laid him on her chest. His legs struggled to move him around as he explored the buttons on her shirt and the pactio card in her pocket. The little white tufts at the corner of his eyes made her think of her grandfather, once he'd gotten old and his temples had gone gray. What would her grandfather have called him?

"Grandfather would have named you after his favorite book. Maybe his favorite character." Yue moved the tiny animal back to the center of her chest when he got too close to the edge. "My favorite books when I was younger was _The Chronicles of Prydain_. But you don't strike me as an Eilonwy. Not Taran. Definitely not Fflewddur." She stroked the little white tuft beside his right eye. "You look like a Dallben to me." The otter's head swung towards her, the little mouth opening in a yawn. "Dallben, then. Dallben the Otter."

For the rest of the hour she chatted with the creature, no longer bothered by how quiet the rest of her house was.

XXXXXXX

Yue landed under the World Tree, looking over at Ayaka's plane. She was glad the blonde had decided to take Negi's face off the side.

Ayaka, the headmaster, Shizuna-sensei, and Negi stood outside the plane. As Yue neared them, Asuna bounded out of the plane and greeted her. "Hey, Yue-chan! Glad you could make it! Chisame, Eva, Chachamaru, Haruna, Ku, Setsuna, and Konoka are already on board. You're coming, aren't you?"

"Of course she is," Negi said, approaching. "Are you bringing your otter?"

"Dallben," Yue corrected him. "And I think so. I don't want to leave him, for some reason. Is Chisame-san really coming?" She hadn't expected the internet junkie to make the trip.

Asuna shrugged. "She said Chachamaru forced her, but Chacha says Chisame-chan's stuff was already packed when she arrived to get her."

"What about Akira?" Yue turned to Negi.

Negi's cheeks flushed. "Uh, actually Akira-san is coming with us."

Yue's eyes widened. "Really? I thought she didn't want anything to do with magic after our last trip."

Negi's shoulders rose, as did the color in his face. "I don't know. She said she wants to help."

Yue nodded. "What about Ayaka-san?"

Now Asuna's cheeks turned pink. "Stupid Class rep. She said she has to come to make sure I don't lose everyone this time. Like she can do better. Hmph."

Yue smiled. Asuna led her into the plane. The interior was lined with plush white seats that could swivel around to face the seats behind them. Little tables flipped down between each row. A tall man in a suit with an impressive mustache stood at the very front of the plane, bowing as they entered. Konoka was sitting up front talking to Haruna and Ku. Eva and Chachamaru had found seats not far from them and they were sipping tea. Setsuna and Chisame, however, were at the very back of the plane with Chamo. Yue made her way back to them, waving away Haruna's invite to sit with her. "Hey, Setsuna-san."

Setsuna looked up, looking a little surprised that Yue was talking to her. "Hey. How's your familiar? Have you named him?"

"Dallben," Yue said. "He's great. I'm bringing him with me actually."

"Is that safe?" Chisame said.

Yue shrugged. "Probably not. But I wanted to thank you again, Setsuna-san."

Setsuna shook her head. "It was Nodoka-san's idea and Chamo-kun and Negi-sensei found him. I just went and picked him up."

"Thank you anyways," Yue said, settling into the seat next to the swordsman. "Also, I have a question." Setsuna waited for her to continue. "Should we really allow everyone to come along? I mean, I know they're all gung-ho to help Negi-sensei out however they can, but...this isn't Sensei. This is a different world. At war. Some of 3-A has no connection to that world. Some, only a small one. I mean...is this a decision we should leave to a bunch of twenty year olds? I just feel like a few of them will jump into this without really thinking about it."

Setsuna pondered that for a moment, glancing at Chisame. The computer wiz shook her head, pushing her glasses back up her nose. Setsuna turned back to Yue. "I think only they can make this decision. Their connection may not be as strong as Asuna-san's or Negi-sensei's, but even if they have only one friend on the other side...isn't that enough?"

"You have reasons to go," Chisame added. "What makes their reasons not worth it?"

Yue thought about that as she watched Yuna, Makie, Akira, and Ako board. Setsuna was right. Each person who climbed those stairs had a reason to come along. Who was she to judge if that reason was worth risking their lives?

She patted Dallben's pouch, thinking about her friends at Ariadne. Collet's puppy-eyes when things didn't go her way. Beatrix's infallible serenity. And Class rep...

"They'll be okay," Setsuna said.

Yue looked up, blinking. "I thought Nodoka was the mind reader." She smiled.

Setsuna returned the smile. "It doesn't take a mind reader to know you're thinking the same thing we are. You're not alone in worrying for the other side or for the people on this plane." Her black eyes flickered in Konoka's direction. "They'll be okay. Everyone will be. That's what we have to focus on."

Yue watched as the rest of the class boarded. Only Chizune, Satsuki, and the cheerleaders were absent. Kaede settled on Yue's other side, Mana on Chisame's. Nodoka waved as she took the seat Haruna had offered Yue.

To her surprise, Yue found herself remaining where she was, talking to the small group around her, even though she had never thought to find herself choosing their company. The quiet protectors, Yue had thought of them over the years. Even Chisame, with her sharp eyes on Negi.

As she watched Nodoka and Konoka laugh at something Haruna had said, she decided. She wanted to protect them. She wanted to protect her friends from Ariadne. She wanted to protect little Dallben, Negi, all of them. Yue settled back into her seat, in her place among the quiet protectors.


	4. Chapter 4

**Kailor: I'm really digging this story myself and I can't stop writing it. Worry not, loyal readers. I am working on Sword and the Needle. I WILL finish it SOON. Please enjoy this new one and reviews, as always, are appreciated. Thank you.**

The tent flap shifted and Collet ducked in. "Class rep, all is clear out here."

Emily looked up from the map she and Headmistress Seras were bent over. "Okay, I'll be out in a moment to relieve you." She waited for the tent flap to settle back into place behind Collet. "So we're leaving, Headmistress?"

"Yes," Seras sighed. "It's been two days now. We can't hide from the Selvens much longer. We're lucky they haven't searched the roof of every abandoned building this long."

"They probably assume we escaped. What fools would sneak in, open the gateport, then hang around for a few days?" Emily smiled. "Besides us, of course."

Seras laughed. "True enough. But their troops are spreading throughout the ruins below. They won't suspect us to be in plain sight. Still, we can't wait any longer. If no one comes through the gate before nightfall, we must go. Princess Theodora will be expecting us back, as well."

Emily followed a line on the map. "So we'll go this way, into the most dangerous part of the ruins, right?"

"It's the least likely place we'll be followed. The beasts there are stronger than most and it will take all of us to make it through. So go, relieve your unit for a while. Make sure everyone gets some rest. That includes you."

Emily nodded, saluting. She stepped out of the tent, adjusting her cloak. The rooftop they had claimed as their camp was overshadowed by a bridge the Ostians once used to get quickly from one side of town to the other, and it was cold under the shadow of the stone behemoth. She crossed to the edge of the building, where Collet and S Du Chat sat. She peered over the end, carefully adjusting her hood to cover her face. Far below and down the road a little ways, the gateport's landing pad was surrounded by armed warriors, most of them wearing the uniform of Megalomesembria.

"Nothing doin' down there, Class rep," Collet said. "Silent as the grave. The gate hasn't opened, not even a crack."

Emily moved back, sighing. "Well, we've got until nightfall. If nobody comes through, we leave."

"And if someone does, but it isn't an ally?" Chat said.

Emily shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. Not much else we can do."

"They'll come," Collet said. She took off her glasses, staring at the cracked right lens, then cleaned them on her cloak. "Yue will come."

Emily snorted. "And what good will she do? She's been away for years now. I doubt she even remembers how to handle a sword."

Collet shrugged, not answering.

Despite her words, Emily found herself staring up at the gateport.

XXXXXXX

The blonde woman standing in the field of stones waved. Akashi-sensei waved back, hurrying to meet her and the group of robed mages with her.

Negi ushered Ala Alba along, doing a quick head count.

"Hello, Negi-kun."

"Donet-san," he said, bowing. "It's been a while."

"Indeed," she smiled, the expression not quite finding her eyes. "I wish we met under better circumstances."

Negi nodded. "As do we all."

"Go over it again, Negi-kun." Takahata nodded to the girls behind him.

Negi turned, scanning his group carefully. Akira gave him a small smile. Asuna nodded. He focused behind them, where Yue and Setsuna stood, encouraging smiles on their faces. He took a deep breath. "I will go through first. Then the magical teachers, except for Takahata-sensei, who will be holding this side open. Our main fighting force will follow: Asuna, Setsuna, Yue, Mana, Kaede, Ku, Eva, Chachamaru, and Yuna. Haruna-san will lead the rest of you through after. Once everyone is through, I will help Takahata-sensei open the gates the rest of the way. Assuming, that is, we have opposition. If not, I'll just open the gate as soon as I reach the other side."

There were a few laughs from the class.

"It is far more likely that we will walk into a battle. So be prepared." Negi hushed them quickly. "I'm sorry to drag all of you into-"

"Oh shut up," Asuna huffed. "I knew you were going to lapse into apology. We made this decision all on our own, stupid. Now go open the gateport!"

The class echoed her, cheering and calling out battle cries.

Takahata chuckled, clapping Negi on the shoulder. "We'd best get on with it then."

The class gathered close to the outer part of the stone circle, quiet for once. Takahata moved to the center, cupping his hands before him. He activated the Kankaho, his body suddenly glowing with power. Then he lifted his arms, like he was about to dive into a lake. Slowly, his trembling arms spread out, pushing against invisible forces.

A light shot from the cloud cover, creating a pool of brilliance on the billowing grass before Takahata. With his coat flapping about him, he pushed a little harder, then stilled, his arms spread out to the sides like he planned to take flight.

XXXXXXX

Emily had just finished packing up the tent when Collet's voice rang out.

"Class rep! Headmistress! The gate!"

Seras barely beat Emily to the edge of their building. A small part of the landing pad had split open, shimmering light pouring forth. Someone was opening the other side.

The soldiers around the pad quickly assembled, calling to each other and drawing weapons.

"Looks like they weren't expecting company." Seras grabbed her broom. "Hurry, girls. We must protect that opening. But just in case, Collet, when we get there, you face the rift. Be prepared everyone. Let's go."

The Ariadne knights rose, all six brooms racing to the gateport.

Seras landed first, spinning to the guards. She swept her broom at them, sending a shockwave through the advancing soldiers. The first few lines stumbled back, but kept marching forward.

Emily joined her, throwing every spell she could think of at the enemy. Behind her, Collet faced the glowing rift, her sword held before her in a defensive position. Beatrix and J Von Katze landed on either side of Seras and Emily, their wands flashing. Chat joined them a second later.

From the ranks of soldiers, a few mage cloaks appeared, moving to block the oncoming spells of the Ariadne knights.

Emily growled as one of her attacks went astray, intercepted by a quickly raised wind shield from the tallest mage.

"Spread out," Seras hissed. "Emily, guard Collet's back!"

The headmistress leapt away, Beatrix, Chat, and Katze following suit. Emily pressed back until she felt Collet's shoulder brush hers.

The soldiers continued to advance, closing rank on the only way off the landing pad.

XXXXXXX

Asuna watched as Negi stepped forward to make the jump to Mundus Magicus. Setsuna, however, suddenly leapt forward.

"Sensei!" Her sword flashed, deflecting a well-aimed magic arrow.

The mages that had been with Donet were attacking. Donet and the magic teachers moved quickly, surrounding Takahata, the patch of light, and the class.

Asuna called her artifact, moving to cover Takahata's back. The mages seemed to be growing in numbers. One moment, there were ten, then there were twenty.

"It's an ambush!" Akashi-sensei yelled over the shouting and crackle of magic.

Donet was yelling at the mage she battled, clearly shocked at his betrayal.

Asuna pulled Ayaka behind her, between her and Takahata.

"Go, Negi!" Takahata's voice rose over the din. "Hurry!"

"We'll hold them off until you get the other side open," Sister Shakti called.

Asuna sliced through a magic arrow, negating it. Ayaka's hand gripped her shirt. Somewhere behind her Negi yelled, "I'm going!"

She glanced back, just as Negi and Yue backed into the light together. Setsuna swept Konoka into her arms and followed. Kaede and Ku jumped next. In just a few moments, the entire class had disappeared in a flash of light. Asuna shoved Ayaka toward it. "Go!"

Ayaka opened her mouth to protest, but Asuna pushed her again, forcing her into the light. She spun back to the teachers. "Takahata-sensei!"

"Go, Asuna!" He shook from the force of holding the gate open. Suddenly, a bolt of blue light hit him in the chest and his face went slack. His arms dropped.

Asuna turned, sending a slice in the direction the blue light had come from. One of the attacking mages fell, blood spraying from his robes. She looked to the ground, expecting the gate to be closed. The light still waited, smaller than before. On the other side of it, Akashi-sensei stood, his arms outstretched like Takahata's had been. "Hurry, Asuna."

"But Takahata-sensei-" she turned to her former teacher.

He stood, blinking at the light on the ground. Then his head lifted, his eyes suddenly dull and emotionless. He shoved his hands into his pockets. Donet hit the ground, as if knocked out by an invisible force. Takahata then turned on the other magic teachers. Sister Shakti moved to face him, then flew through the air, blood running from her lips.

"Asuna!" Akashi-sensei roared. "Go! Now!"

She glanced once more at Takahata, then obeyed, leaping into the light.

XXXXXXX

Akashi held the gate, counting in his head. Almost five minutes. Just a little longer.

"Akashi." Takahata's voice was eerily soft as he turned on the black-haired teacher.

"Takamichi, this isn't you. Whatever they hit you with-" _Ten more seconds._

Takahata's arm jerked. A crushing weight slammed into Akashi's leg, dropping him to his knees as he felt the bones snap. Still, his quivering arms stayed outstretched. _Five._

"Takamichi, stop. Just wait-"

"My master does not want me to wait," Takahata said, advancing. "I cannot allow Negi Springfield or Ala Alba to join the Magical World's army."

_Now. _Akashi slammed his hands together, releasing the pressure holding the gate open. The light disappeared, leaving only Akashi and Takahata in a foggy field of bodies. "We took out the mages that attacked us. It's just you now. You can't open the gate and pass through. They're gone now, Takamichi. He's beyond your reach."

"For now."

An invisible force slammed into Akashi's chest, throwing him onto his back. He coughed, feeling an odd gurgling in his throat. His arms refused to listen. His leg seared with pain. And Takahata walked slowly closer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Kailor: I just can't stop. Ahhhhh.**

**Naruto: But we're so hungry. Feed us, Kai!**

**Kailor: Get a job, you mooch!**

Emily fired a magic arrow at her attackers. The mages were closing in, overpowering the Ariadne knights. A ricocheted spell caught her side and she hissed, bumping back into Collet.

The light behind her suddenly grew brighter, pulsing across the ground. The advancing force paused, the mages stopped, the battle suddenly grew quiet. Then Emily heard Collet say, "Oh!" and sizzling heat pressed in on either side of her.

On her right, a wall of flames rose, racing through the enemy. On her left, lightning jagged across the field, downing multiple scores of soldiers.

A gust of wind seized her, throwing her into the air. As she plummeted back to earth, she tried to turn to land on her feet. Her broom had flown out of her hands, skidding across the landing pad.

Then arms wrapped around her and she landed neatly in someone's lap.

For a moment, she was a cadet again, her enemy was a griffon-dragon, and a younger, longer-haired Yue in a cadet's uniform was holding her.

But now, she was older, a full knight of Ariadne. Her enemy was a band of Megalomesembrian soldiers and mages. And Yue was a woman now. Her hair was barely past her shoulders now, still parted into two ponytails. Instead of the Ariadne uniform, she wore a trenchcoat and button-down that suited her quite well. And she was firing spells left and right without incanting a thing.

The only thing that didn't change was how safe she felt the moment Yue's arm tightened around her.

Emily felt her face grow hot and she mentally cursed herself for acting so weird when there was a battle going on.

Yue landed, carefully depositing Emily on the ground. Somewhere Collet screamed a warning. Emily looked up just in time to see the tallest mage release a huge fireball at them. She gasped.

Yue leapt over her, landing on her right foot, her staff raised like a baseball bat. Just before the fireball made impact, Yue stepped into it with her left foot, swinging her staff straight through it. The fireball exploded around them, missing Emily and slamming into the mage's own soldiers.

"Yue!" Collet yelled, appearing beside Emily.

With tendrils of flame still dancing on her moon-tipped staff, Yue threw them a quick grin. "Hey, Collet. Class rep. Long time no see." Then she spun into an oncoming soldier, dazing him with a hard knock of her staff and felling him with a jab from her Ariadne sword.

Around Emily, the enemy began to fall back.

Ala Alba swarmed forward from the rift. Yue's fire spells lit the sky. Setsuna deposited Konoka beside Emily and Collet, then twirled into the fray, her sword ripping through armor like paper. Kaede and Ku left a trail of downed Megalomesembrians in their wake. Mana's bullets rained down like a storm. Eva's ice spells tore into flesh and magic, ripping spells and soldiers apart. Chachamaru's rockets and metal punches pressed the enemy back farther. Haruna's giant ogres wreaked havoc among the masses of fleeing soldiers. Asuna's harisen broke swords and helmets in a single swing. And flying through them, lightning incarnate, Negi sent men flying and screaming.

"Pull back! Pull back!" The tallest mage screamed, running for his own life.

Konoka tapped Emily's arm. "Let me." She moved the hand that Emily hadn't realized she was clutching her side with, and waved her fans over it. The stinging immediately faded, replaced by a slight burning that also began to fade. "Anyone else?" Konoka leapt to her feet, searching for another patient.

The landing pad was empty now, only Ala Alba and the Ariadne knights left. The Selven army was nowhere to be seen.

A pair of legs wearing black capris landed in Emily's line of sight and she looked up to find Yue wiping a smudge of soot from her cheek.

"Yue-" she started.

"Yue!" Collet threw herself on the shorter girl, hugging her tight. "You look so different! You're like a full-on woman now!"

"Thanks," Yue laughed. "You grew up too. But let's catch up later. Negi-sensei!"

"Here," the teenager landed beside her, placing his staff in its customary place on his back. "Where are the teachers?"

Asuna shook her head at him. "I'll tell you later. They aren't coming."

Yuna looked back at the place they had come through, looking very worried.

"Headmistress Seras?" Negi called.

"I'm here too, Negi-sama." Seras bowed. "We are in your debt. Without you, I'm afriad none of us would have made it out of here."

Negi fended off her compliments. "We need to get out of here. Do you have a place for us to go? A headquarters?"

"Ariadne has served as our base. We were going to head through the ruins below Ostia to return. Princess Theodora waits for us on the plains."

"I've got a better idea," Haruna's voice chimed in, her grin big as ever. "Why don't we take my ship?"

XXXXXXX

Yue was more than surprised that Haruna's ship was exactly where the artist had left it, just under floating Ostia, cloaked by a chameleon spell. Ala Alba and the knights loaded up. It was cramped, but it worked.

"The spell that hides this ship is beyond incredibly expensive!" Seras was quite taken with the vessel. "However did you afford such a thing?"

Haruna stood at the helm, soaking up the praise. "The Great Paru-sama's skills are without end. Mwahahahaha!"

Yue rolled her eyes. She left the control room, heading to the storerooms that would be their sleeping quarters. As she strolled down the corridor, her hands in her pockets, she heard Negi's voice.

"Yue-san? Can I see you in here?"

She backtracked, glancing in the door she'd just passed. Negi, Asuna, Setsuna, Yuna, and the Ariadne knights were in the dining room, settled around a large table. Collet scooted over on the bench, giving Yue room to sit between her and Emily. As Yue sat, Emily turned her face away, her arms crossed.

"Please, tell us what you were about to say, Asuna-san." Negi gestured to the princess.

Asuna sighed, rubbing her neck. "So we were ambushed at the gateport. The mages that were supposed to be guarding it, were actually guarding it from us. Only Donet-san fought for us. Once everyone else had gone through, I turned to help Takahata-sensei. He told me to go through, then he was hit in the chest by this weird sort of blue light. He dropped his hold on the gateport. Your father," she nodded to Yuna. "He took over, holding the gate open so I could pass through. But before I went, I saw Takahata-sensei...turn."

Setsuna patted her friend's back. Asuna was white, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for the cup of tea Negi handed her. "He turned on the other teachers. It was like all the emotion in his face was gone. He attacked Donet-san. And Sister Shakti. We were winning before that. The teachers had just taken out the last of the mages, then Takahata-sensei went after them. And he wasn't holding back." She looked at Negi. "You've fought him. You barely beat him and he was keeping a lot of his power back. But this...it was terrifying. Sister Shakti...I don't even know if she... What do I tell Misora-chan?"

"What about my dad?" Yuna said.

Asuna shook her head slowly. "He made me go through. I guess he closed the gate after me so that Takahata-sensei couldn't follow. I don't know beyond that. I'm sorry, Yuna."

"It's all right," Yuna said, swallowing hard. "He did what he had to. I just hope he's okay."

The table fell silent for a minute.

Yue suddenly became very aware of her knee brushing against Emily's. The blonde didn't move, so neither did Yue. Instead she went very still, glad for that little bit of contact with another person. In the silence, she could almost hear her own heart beating.

"Seras-san," Negi said, carefully changing the subject. "What's the update?"

Seras sighed. "It was all pretty much in that letter. I'm so thankful it reached Mahora. Knowing now that the guards on the other side were with the Selvens, it's even more of a miracle that Donet-san was the one who received it. But like I said in the letter, the attack was so sudden that Megalomesembria fell before we were even aware there was a war going on. They've advanced as far as Ostia, but the plains of the Hellas hold them up. They know they would be easy targets in the open like that. At least, we think that's why they've halted. But we've banded together all of the remaining forces of Mundus Magicus and we're gathering together at Ariadne to march on the Selvens." She frowned. "Though now that I hear what happened to Takahata-sama, I believe I understand this war a little better. That blue light you saw, it came from one of the mages, yes?"

"Yes."

"I believe we've found the reason why Megalomesembrian soldiers are working for the Selvens." Seras glanced at Yue. "Can you look up Binding on your artifact?"

Yue nodded. She pulled the card from her pocket and said, "Adeat." The book floated before her and she caught it, settling it on the table. With a few quick flicks of her finger, the images floating above the book changed and a definition popped up. "Binding is a high level spell that literally binds the victim to the will of the master. However, over the years, the spell has been developed so that one master may Bind a person, then that person may Bind another person to the original master without the master being there to perform the spell." Yue nodded, frowning. "So it's very likely that the leader of the Selvens Bound his own army, then sent them out to Bind others."

"How do we stop it?" Setsuna asked.

Yue flipped through a few more images. "There's no counter-spell in my book. It does say, though, that the farther spread from the master, the weaker the Binding. Meaning if I Bound one of you, my power over you would be absolute. You would have to do whatever I want you to. But if you Bound someone else for me, it wouldn't be as strong. And if that other person Bound someone, it would be even weaker, and so on and so forth."

"So we have to avoid the blue light." Emily said, breathing hard through her nose. "Why don't you give us a hard task, Yue-san?" She huffed, still not looking fully at Yue.

Yue shrugged. "I'll keep looking into it."

"For now, simply put, our plan is to continue on to the Hellas Plains. There we will stop to meet with Princess Theodora. Then we will call the armies back, regroup at Ariadne, and figure out our next move from there." Negi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Unfortunately we can't fly very fast, because the chameleon spell wouldn't work. So it will take us a few days to reach Princess Theodora. Rest up everyone. Spread the word. This may be our only chance to do so."

The group dispersed, moving out of the room. Yue stayed, pulling little Dallben from his pouch. He looked perfectly fine, despite her battle an hour before. She brought out his bottle, cuddled him close to her chest, and began to feed him.

"An Otter-elf?"

She looked up. Emily was the only one left, standing in the doorway.

"Yes," Yue said. "His name's Dallben. He's my familiar."

"Oh, so you have a familiar now?"

"Yes. I'm studying to be a Magister Magi."

Emily snorted. "You never even finished studying to be a knight of Ariadne. Now you want to be a Magister Magi?"

Yue looked up from little Dallben. "Yes, I do. And I know I never completed my training at Ariadne. There were things that needed to be done back home. But I came back, didn't I?"

"Why?" Emily seemed to have gotten to the question she'd really wanted to ask now. "Why did you come back?"

Yue blinked at her, noticing how much of a woman the class rep had become in five years. He hair was even longer than before, her legs long and graceful as she moved. But she still held her head high, her lips pursed as if everyone in the room was nothing on a knight of Ariadne. Yue smiled. "Someone once told me I had to return one day to pay my debt to Ariadne for taking care of me."

Emily's cheeks turned pink. She turned to leave, pausing for only a moment outside the door to say, "I'm glad you came." Then she was gone in a swirl of blonde hair.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kailor: Thank you for the reviews! Don't forget, there will be a special gift in this piece for Konosetsu fans. **

The fog shifted. Between the standing stones, a figure landed neatly on the grass.

"Headmaster," Takahata said. "I'm can't say I'm shocked to see you here. It has been a day since Negi-kun and the others passed through. What about the Academy? And the Kanto Magic Association?"

Konoemon nodded, his hands in his sleeves. "Takahata-kun. I left both in the capable hands of Seruhiko-kun. Should I address your master during this conversation?"

Takahata's lips turned up, but his eyes stayed still and lifeless. "Nothing gets past you, Konoemon-san.

"I know Binding when I see it," Konoemon said. "Where are the other teachers? And Donet-san?"

Takahata's head turned slightly. Off to the side, the fog parted just enough that Konoemon caught a glimpse of a single bloody figure, crumpled on the ground.

"I see. So I assume you're not going to just let me take them and leave?"

"No, you can take them," Takahata said. "I'm under orders to guard the gateport only."

Konoemon nodded, stepping toward the fallen teachers. "But if I were to come back to try and get through?"

"Then we would have to fight," Takahata said. "For now, you aren't breaking my master's wishes. He cares nothing for this world or it's masses."

Konoemon stroked his beard. "Then this is goodbye for now, Takahata-kun. I believe a quick retreat is the best course of action."

Takahata nodded.

Konoemon lifted a hand and the teachers rose as one, floating down the hill back toward the village. Konoemon glanced back at Takahata as he followed.

The teacher slipped his hands into his pockets, still standing under the tallest stone, the fog slowly swallowing him again.

XXXXXXX

"Ku-san!"

Ku looked up, straightening out of her fighting pose. The wind whipped her gown around her legs. She waited until the shorter girl crossed the outer deck of Haruna's airship to her side. "Yue-dono. What you need?"

Yue stopped before her, her face pink. "Ah, I-um. Look, I've been thinking. For a long time now." She gazed out over the clouds as the ship skimmed them. "I've been wondering what I bring to Ala Alba."

Ku frowned at her. "You, Yue-dono? You mage, yes? Like Negi-bozu."

Yue shrugged. "I guess. But I'll never be as strong a mage as him. Or as Konoka-san."

"So what you do then?"

"I...I was wondering if you would train me, Ku-san."

Now Ku really was surprised. "Yue-dono? You want train in way of Chinese Martial Arts?" She watched the smaller girl shuffle her feet. "Negi-bozu do Chinese Martial Arts too, though."

The ship tilted slightly, adjusting course. The two girls steadied themselves. After a moment, Yue faced Ku straight on. "I know. I won't be as strong as him in this either. But I want to add to my list of skills. I don't want to be the one in Ala Alba who is just a mage."

"But you very smart," Ku said. "You not just mage. You knight too, aren't you?"

"Not technically," Yue said. "I never finished my training there because we went back home."

"Well...you investigator, yes?"

Yue sighed, leaning against the railing. "It's not enough. I want to protect my friends. And I've been realizing that I may not be strong enough to."

Ku moved back into her stances, flowing into the next set of poses as Yue watched carefully. "But you do so well back at battle in Ostia. You burn many soldiers."

"From above," Yue said. "I would be less effective up close. My sword training at Ariadne would get me through, but not if I faced someone at master-level or close to it."

Ku nodded. "Understand that. So you want learn Chinese Martial Arts to protect friends?"

"Yes."

Ku lifted her arms above her head, stretching. "This seem very random, Yue-dono. Would not have expected to get this request from the old Baka Leader."

Yue smiled, crossing her arms. Her trenchcoat flapped behind her. "I've grown a lot since the days of the Baka Rangers."

"Yet, you still Baka Leader, yes?" Ku returned the grin. "Then it be an honor to train you." She stood, placing her fists together and bowing. "Now, you call me Ku-roshi, like Negi-bozu!"

Yue copied her, bowing lower. "Yes, Ku-roshi."

XXXXXXX

Someone knocked on the door. Setsuna threw a last handful of water on her face, grabbing a towel as she moved to unlock it. She opened the door, finding herself face to face with Yue. "Oh, Yue-san."

"Setsuna-san, I have a question." Yue stood in the hall, her trenchcoat over her arm and her hair wild and half undone.

"Are you okay? You look like you just went a round with a blow dryer."

Yue's hand flew to her hair, her cheeks turning pink. "Ah, well. No. Ku-roshi, actually."

"Ku-san?" Setsuna pursed her lips, impressed. "You're training with her?"

"Yes," Yue nodded. "I feel like I need to bring more to Ala Alba than my somewhat skilled magic and unfinished training as an Ariadne knight."

Setsuna stepped out of the bathroom, suddenly realizing how awkward it was to be standing in the doorway with another girl. "And your question for me?"

Yue took a deep breath. "Will you train me, as well? I did some sword training at Ariadne. Please, allow me to be your student." She dropped into a bow, her tangled hair falling around her face.

For a moment, Setsuna wasn't sure how to respond. The sudden show of respect flustered her, causing her cheeks to heat up. "Yue-san, please. You don't have to bow to me." She grabbed the girl's shoulders, standing her up. "Why this sudden interest in training?"

"I have people I want to protect," Yue said, gripping her trenchcoat tight. "I want to be an irreplacable part of Ala Alba. And I owe Ariadne a great debt. As it stands now, I know little of swordplay, no martial arts, I have no unique skills. I'm not a mage like Negi-sensei, nor will I ever be. What I am, however, is a fast learner when I want to be." She bit her lip, glancing at the empty hallway. "Maybe if I could be something of a jack-of-all-trades, I would be better equipped to protect my friends."

Setsuna blinked at the mage, shocked by her confession.

Yue rocked on her heels as Setsuna sized her up.

"I will train you. I am interested in Ariadne's sword style anyways."

Yue's face lit up, her grin widening. "Really?"

Setsuna laughed. "Yes, really. Asuna-san and I normally train every dawn. Ku-san and Negi-sensei train then too, so you can tag off at any time."

"Thank you, Setsuna-san!" Yue bowed again, then hurried down the corridor and around the corner.

"What was all that about?" Asakura asked, stepping out of the storage room/bunk room for Ala Alba. "Yuecchi's training with you and Ku-san?"

Setsuna shrugged. "She has somebody she wants to protect."

Haruna popped out of the room behind Asakura, her eyes gleaming. "Oh, does she now?"

XXXXXXX

Yue stopped in the kitchen, searching the pantry for a snack. The fridge had only plain apple juice and she turned her nose up at it, uninterested. She settled at the table, making herself a sandwich. The door opened and she glanced up, a piece of bread dangling from her mouth.

"Oh," Emily said, pausing at the threshold. "I didn't know anyone was in here."

"I'm just making a sandwich," Yue said around her bread. "I'll be gone soon, so you can have it to yourself."

"It's fine," Emily said, moving to the fridge.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Yue finished making her sandwich and began to eat. Emily poured herself a glass of apple juice and accepted the sandwich ingredients Yue pushed toward her.

Yue had just finished her last bite when Emily spoke.

"Would you have come back if this war hadn't happened?"

Yue chewed, giving herself a moment to think. "Of course I would have."

"Then why didn't you? It's been five years." Emily closed her sandwich, her eyes on the snack, avoiding Yue's gaze.

Yue stared into her palms. She'd known this question was going to come up again. She hadn't fully answered it the day before. "When I went home...a lot of things happened. I graduated school. Asuna-san slept for a hundred years-don't ask." She sighed. "Negi-sensei began his plan to bring the worlds together. But it will be a long time until his plans are fulfilled. And I took over guarding the Academy in his stead while he worked on it. Before I knew it, five years had passed, I had my own business, and I realized my letters to Ariadne had become fewer and far between. So when Collet mentioned that you guys would be getting a vacation, I was thrilled. I-well...I missed you."

Emily's eyes darted up, catching Yue's purple gaze.

"All of you," Yue said, feeling her ears turn red. "Then the gateport closed. I was...honestly I was relieved. Now that I know what was going on-" she quickly added, "-not so much. But then, I was. I was ashamed, I guess. I knew you and Collet and Bea-san would be full knights by then. And what was I? A small time Magical Private Investigator. I lived in a tiny apartment in the Academy and slept more than most of the time." She threaded her fingers together, sighing. "So when I learned the gateport would be closed for a while, I decided it was time to take action. I enlisted the help of my class and Negi-sensei. I built a house by the lake. I-uh-" She blushed fully now, turning her face so Emily couldn't see it. "I made sure it was large enough for you guys to come and stay."

Emily watched her, the sandwish on her plate forgotten. "You built a house for us?"

Yue shrugged. "I guess so, yeah. Three bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Kitchen and living room and such."

"There's four of us," Emily said. "Four knights."

"Oh?" Yue blinked. "Someone joined your squad?"

"No." Emily shook her head. "You, genius. There's four of us, including you."

Yue's stomach fluttered as she stared at her ex-class rep.

"So there's only three bedrooms," Emily said, raising an eyebrow. "Seems your math is lacking these days." She didn't smile, but Yue did.

"I don't have an excuse." Yue shrugged. "When we drew it up, three just worked for the design we were going for."

"Well, I hope you'll be a good enough host to give up your bed for one of us, when we go." Emily picked up her sandwich. "Though, if we're going to be living with you, you may just want to build another room on."

"I can handle the couch for a little while. It's no big deal."

"No," Emily said, nibbling the crust off her sandwich. "We'll be going to stay, Yue-san."

Yue frowned, opening and closing her mouth a few times.

"Quit staring at me like that. You look like a fish on land." Emily took a bite of her sandwich. "We got the scholarship. We're moving to the Old World to work at Mahora, assuming that still holds true once this war is over."

Yue could only stare at her.

"Obviously we wouldn't live with you forever." Emily glanced at Yue. "But it would be nice to have somewhere to stay besides an apartment. If you don't mind."

For a moment, Yue just blinked at her. Then she smiled. "Class rep, are you asking to move in with me?"

Emily's face flushed. "You wish."

Yue laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Kailor: Ever have that moment where a story goes, "Hey, this is where I'm gonna go and you REALLY wanna know the journey to get there?"**

**Naruto: ...Uh.**

**Kailor: That's what this story has done to me. Sword and the Needle too. I wrote the ending to that story way back when I started it. And now I'm PISSED.**

**Nuriko: Rikku, go get the soothing Celtic music.**

**Kailor: Damn you, Ken! I love you, but damn you! You stole my idea! Sorta...a little. But still! IT WAS MINE. **

**Naruto: Please enjoy readers. Reviews appreciated. Nothing to see here. Move along now. Ladeeda.**

Asakura stretched as she left the control room, her shift driving the ship finally over. The hallway's quiet stretch echoed her footsteps back at her and she knew somehow that it was just after dawn. She let herself into the kitchen, searching the fridge. She jumped as the door opened behind her.

Yue slouched in, limping slightly on her left foot.

"Hey, Yu-uh, you. Hey."

Yue plopped down at the table, flashing her a quick half-smile. "Did you just forget my name?"

"No," Asakura snorted. "Like I could forget your name, Yoshiko!"

Yue waved her hand, looking too tired to banter back.

Asakura pulled a bottle of scotch from the back of the fridge. "Scotch, Yuecchi?"

"I don't drink," Yue said. "I'm not the kid I was back in school."

Asakura poured two glasses, pushing one across to Yue. "That's why I grabbed the scotch and not the Bacardi in the back corner. You're not the only one who's grown up. And one glass won't kill you. Remember our trip to Kyoto? When pretty much the whole class got drunk off that sweet sake in the Kiyomizu waterfall?" She chuckled, sipping her scotch.

Yue took the glass in front of her, swirling it and watching the dark liquid. "If I remember correctly, I was one of the ones making up excuses to save everyone's hides. And where were you?"

"Taking pictures, of course. Couldn't miss the chance to have a picture of Ayaka drooling drunk while teachers were walking by. I even have one of you slapping her, I think."

"Hmmm. I'd be interested in framing that in my house." Yue smiled. "Class rep-san is great, but that is a priceless memory."

Asakura laughed. "One I'm sure she doesn't have. Nobody remembered that first day. But I would give a lot for one of Chao's cassiope-thingies. Ah, to live those days again, knowing what we know now."

"Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said, 'No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man'." Yue said. "There's no going back to a time that has passed."

"And Irish playwright, Dion Boucicault, said, 'Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them'." Asakura replied, no hesitation. "We may never get to go back, but it's natural to want to."

Yue's eyebrows rose and she lifted her drink to the redhead. "Asakura-san, you're just full of surprises."

Asakura laughed. "Everyone seems to forget that I was one of the highest ranked in our year. I was no Chao, but I wasn't a member of the Baka rangers either."

Yue nodded. "Well I won't forget again." She took a swig of her drink, her nose wrinkling. "Blegh. Another reason I don't drink."

Asakura took a moment to look over the dark circles under Yue's eyes, her bangs matted to her forehead by sweat, the fresh cut on her chin. "It's been two days since you started training. You already look just like Setsuna and Asuna used to when they started training together."

"Well, since I've been dueling the both of them for days now, I should." Yue sighed. "They're wonderful teachers. But sometimes I think they forget that not everyone has all the crazy energy they do. Ku-roshi too." She rolled her shoulders, moaning. "Not complaining, though. I'm grateful they even think I can get through the training."

"Well, you're my little Yue, so of course you can." Haruna appeared in the doorway, yawning. "I know you hate studying, but you're a hell of a learner. You'll do great."

"Shouldn't you be driving?" Asakura said. "It's your shift. I'm off and Yuna is sleeping."

"Ah, well." Haruna laughed, scratching her head. "Actually I'm about to wake everyone. There's a bit of a problem."

"What's that?"

"I forgot that a gas tank doesn't sit for five years and still be full," Haruna said. "We're nearly on empty."

Yue groaned. "How close are we to the Hellas army?"

"Still a ways. Like I said when we took off, we've had to go very slowly."

"So what are we going to do?" Asakura asked, downing her last sip of scotch.

Haruna shrugged. "I'm not the boss. But the ship has about an hour left on her 'til we have to touch down. Sensei and his council of warriors will make the decision." She stopped, blinking. "That sounds like the beginning of a wonderful story." She drifted out of the room, mumbling to herself.

Yue finished her scotch, pushing the glass back across to Asakura. "Guess sleep is out of the question. I'm gonna go shower. Thanks for the drink, Asakura-san."

"Thank Haruna," Asakura said, winking. "All I did was pour it." She turned to the sink, cleaning her glass first. She was surprised when Yue spoke again.

"Thanks for talking to me, too, Asakura-san. I appreciate it."

She turned to tell Yue that it wasn't something she needed thanking for, but the shorter girl was gone, leaving only an empty glass on her side of the table.

XXXXXXX

Yue leaned into the hot water, letting it work the ache from her muscles. The cut on her chin burned and she thought again about the sword swipe that had given it to her. Setsuna had apologized, but not because it had been an accident, because Yue hadn't been quick enough to fully block the swing.

Konoka had said it would heal without scarring, so Yue had waved away her healing spell, telling her to save it for something worse. Secretly though, she hoped for a scar. Negi wore his from Setsuna with pride and Yue wanted to do the same. Proof that Setsuna saw her as good enough to not go easy on.

Yue ran her finger over the small cut, chuckling.

Someone knocked on the door.

Yue turned off the water, sticking her head out of the shower. "Occupied!"

"Yue," Haruna called, opening the door. "Oooh, should really remember to lock this. Negi wants you in the control room."

"Me?" she said, pulling back into the shower. "Why me?"

"Looks like you're part of the council, kid!" Haruna laughed.

When the door closed, Yue scrambled out of the shower, grabbing a towel. But the clothes she'd placed by the sink were gone. "Paru, where are my clothes?"

"Out here."

"Why?"

"You can't wear this. You wear this all the time." Haruna opened the door, sticking a bag through the opening and waving it. "You need something new. Something that will show off those tattoos of yours."

Yue's face flushed, her hand moving to the tattoo on her right shoulder. "How-"

"Paru-sama knows all, dear Yue. Now dress. And hurry up." The bag landed on the counter and Haruna pulled the door closed, her laughter fading down the hallway.

Yue locked the door. She sighed, opening the bag. "Oh, Haruna, I am so going to get you back for this."

XXXXXXX

Emily stepped into the control room behind Seras, holding her head high at being invited to sit in on this meeting. The table from the kitchen had been brought in and the council sat around it. Off to the side, Haruna sat in the driver's seat.

At the head of the table, Negi sat, his arms crossed, his eyebrows drawn together. On his right, Asuna was speaking quietly with Ayaka. Next to her, Eva quietly sipped tea, ignoring the chatter around her. Chisame sat on her other side, looking bored. On Negi's left, Setsuna sat, stoic as ever. Beside her, Konoka chatted with Nodoka and on Nodoka's other side Chachamaru nodded to Seras.

Seras sat at the opposite end of the table. On her left and right there was one more open seat. Emily took the seat on her right, offering Chachamaru a smile.

"Are we expecting someone else?" Seras asked, eyeing the empty chair on her left.

Negi nodded, head lifting. "Yes. I selected all of my most strategic minds."

"And Asuna," Konoka said, giggling. The redhead glared at her.

Negi tried to hide his smile behind a cough. "Kaede-san will also be a go-to for such things, but right now she's making room in her artifact for everyone."

"So who else is coming?"

Negi opened his mouth, then his eyes flashed to the door behind Emily. He smiled, gesturing to the seat across from Emily. She turned, curious.

Yue stepped through the doorway. Her sleeveless tunic was black, trimmed with silver, over black pants and silver boots. Her silver belt matched her silver gauntlets. Her right shoulder was tattooed to look like the skin had been ripped away and there was old leather armor underneath, a Celtic knot embedded in the shoulder plate. On her left arm, from the elbow up, was a twisting, intricate Tree of Life. In her hand was her silver, crescent moon tipped staff.

Emily was shocked to see the smaller girl sporting such large and detailed designs. But somehow, it fit her.

Yue rounded the table and sat between Chisame and Seras, nodding to Negi. She sat back, resting her staff against her shoulder.

Emily saw Haruna throw Yue a thumbs up that made the smaller girl's ears turn red. For some reason, she felt a little warm around the collar as well. She focused on Negi as he leaned forward, trying to calm her heated cheeks.

"Thank you all for coming. Asakura-san is here as well, in a way. She is scouting the area and keeping me informed through her card."

"What's happening, Negi-sensei?" Seras asked, her hands folded on the table in front of her. Emily noticed her thumbs tapping together, the way they did when she oversaw students at Ariadne that were just learning to fly.

"We're running out of fuel." Negi nodded to Haruna.

The artist turned in her chair, pointing to a small group of dials that made no sense to Emily. "We've got about thirty minutes left before we are completely empty. Unless Asakura happens along a magical fuel station, we're going to have to park this puppy and trek it on foot."

Negi said, "From what you've told me, Seras-san, we're still above Selven territory. Correct?"

"Yes," Seras said. "The Selvens have captured all the way to the Hellas plains. We are nearly to the plains, but there are still quite a few miles until we reach the plains. Then even farther to where Princess Theodora is camped."

"I was afraid of that," Negi sighed. "Then we're going to have to make haste through enemy territory. We could always pack everyone into Kaede-san's artifact and have a small group press on."

"I think that would be best, but only if Kaede has a lot of back up," Asuna said. "It's not fair to leave everyone's safety in her hands."

Negi nodded. "I agree. Kaede-san will carry the group. I will travel with her to protect her."

"So will I," Setsuna said.

"And me," Asuna added. "I think Eva, Chachamaru, Ku, and Mana will be good. Yuna, Kotaro, and Yue can ride along with Kaede as back-up."

"Sounds like a good idea," Negi said.

"I'm sorry, why am I being volunteered?" Evangeline said, glaring over her tea.

"Because you're one of the biggest baddies in our gang, Eva-chan," Asuna said. "If those nasty Selvens come after us, we'll just throw you at them and carry on our merry way."

"Kagurazaka, you are just asking to be-"

"What about my knights?" Seras said. "We can't just ride on your coattails all the way to Hellas. We can help guard Kaede-san."

Emily sat forward.

"Thank you, Seras-san. But I believe you should rest in Kaede-san's artifact. You went through a lot to get your letter to us. Let us take it from here, please."

Emily was disappointed, but also grateful. Seras's face was still a bit drawn and her tapping thumbs were making Emily jittery.Across the table, Yue's dark eyes flickered over Seras's hands to Emily's face. The knight shifted, looking away. Something in those dark eyes made her feel like Yue knew more than she did and that aggravated her.

Negi suddenly raised a hand, halting any conversation. He stared at the table for a few moments, giving tiny nods. Then he turned back to the table. "We've got a new issue to address. Asakura-san said she's found a sheltered valley that we can land in and hide the ship. However, there is a camp a few miles from here. She says there are flags flying over it with bright blue lightning on an indigo background."

"Selva's flag," Seras said, frowning. "It must be one of their frontline camps, in case Hellas launches an attack."

"Are they going to be a problem, you think?" Negi said.

Seras shook her head. "If they don't see us, I doubt it. We'll just have to make sure the ship is hidden somewhere that no one is going to accidentally bump into it."

"Wait, wait, wait." Asuna leaned forward, taking the floor. "I thought you didn't know why the Selvens started this. Shouldn't we take this chance to spy a bit?"

Setsuna was already shaking her head. "Asakura-san's artifact isn't exactly stealthy. She'd have to get really close just to figure out which of the camp will be useful, then stay close enough to hear things. She'd only be able to do so much. Sayo-san could go, if she left her body behind." She paused. "Then again, we know Sayo-san..."

"Well, what are you two suggesting?" Ayaka said, narrowing her eyes at the redhead on her left. "You're surely not thinking of sending our actual people into the camp, are you?"

Setsuna and Asuna exchanged a glance over the table.

"No," Ayaka said, crossing her arms. "Definitely not. As class rep, I cannot condone-"

"It's not for you to condone, Ayaka," Asuna said, her voice oddly soft. "It's just a suggestion right now. We need to find out something about the Selvens. We can't go into this war without knowing a single thing about our enemy." She caught Ayaka's glare. "Look, didn't you hear me? I'm growing up! Quit glaring and be proud, dammit."

Chachamaru suddenly spoke up. "I think the idea is one to take a vote on. It may give us an advantage over the Selvens if we could just find out something. Perhaps we could shed a light on their battle plans, their formations, or even their training."

"Maybe we could find out who the Master Binder is," Nodoka added, glancing at Yue.

Emily glanced at the girl too, noting the tilt of Yue's head. It was a look she recognized from their days at Ariadne. Sometimes in class, when the teacher had asked a question and everyone was thinking it over, Yue's head would tilt, her eyes would narrow, and the corner of her lip would pull back between her teeth. It was the most facial expressions Emily had seen on the girl at one time.

"Chachamaru-san is right," Negi said, drawing Emily's attention back to him. "We need to vote on this. And not just us. We need to put this to everyone. Haruna-san, can you gather everyone on the deck?"

"Sure thing, boss." Haruna grabbed a bell-shaped contraption off the dashboard, pressing the button on the side. "Attention, you band of misfits, this is your captain speaking. Gather on the deck in five minutes. If any of you fail to show, the great Paru-sama herself will come and drag you out of bed, and I will not stop to make sure you are fully clothed. Good morning." She replaced the bell, grinning at Negi.

He smiled back, laughing nervously. "Thank you, Haruna-san. That was, uh, effective."

Emily stood with the rest of the table, listening to the chatter that began among them. At the door she paused, bumping into black and silver with dark eyes.

Yue stepped aside, allowing Emily to step through first. The corner of her mouth quirked up and Emily fought the stupid blush that leapt to her face.

Behind her, Haruna raised an eyebrow.


	8. Chapter 8

"So we're going to vote," Negi said, standing before his girls.

3-A stared at him, silent.

"Who are we voting to go? Surely all of us can't sneak into the camp." Makie said, glancing at Yuna for support.

Chisame, quiet until now, turned to Seras. "Didn't one of your knights say you've been spying on them for a few days now?"

"Yes," Seras said. "And we've figured out that a lot of them have been Bound. Yue-san?"

Yue explained to the group what Binding was. "I've been looking into it," Yue added. "It seems that it takes away your own will. It's not that you can't do the things you want to do, like fight the Binding, it's that there are no feelings like that anymore. You want nothing but what the Master wants. So if the Selven king wants to control the world, you want him to control the world as well."

"Takahata-sensei was Bound," Asuna said. "He just changed suddenly. His eyes lost all emotion. He didn't hesitate to attack his friends. It was horrible."

Seras nodded. "I think that is a part of the Binding. The Selvens we observed looked much the same. Their eyes...their eyes are just dead. And the soldiers don't fall like normal ones do. Unless they are completely killed, they keep coming. I was in Ostia when they attacked. I saw men with no legs crawling forward, no pain in their faces." She shuddered. "I have nightmares still."

"The Binding takes away their personal feelings." Yue said.

Chisame nodded. "So if we are to send someone in, they need to be able to look completely emotionless."

Negi glanced at his group, noting that nearly everyone turned to the same people he thought of.

"I guess that's me," Mana said. "Dead eyes, indeed." She didn't sound offended. Instead, she smiled.

"And me, Sensei?" Chachamaru said. "I believe I am equipped for this mission. Though I Hakase-san and my magic core have given me a wide range of emotions and emotive capabilities, I can still turn off the gears that run my eyes."

"I'll go too," Setsuna said.

"Hold on," Konoka said, touching Setsuna's arm. "You're not like you used to be, Setchan. Your eyes aren't dead at all!"

Negi caught Setsuna's glance. "Konoka-san, perhaps Setsuna-san has changed. But I believe it is part of her training to show no emotion, correct?"

"Yes, Sensei." Setsuna nodded. "I can lead the mission."

Negi agreed silently with a flick of his eyes, but he remained silent. He knew calling out his other picks might get him into hot water. It wasn't polite to tell a girl her eyes were dead.

Chisame, however, seemed to have no such reservations. "Well I think Kaede-san and Yue-san should go, also."

Negi glanced at Yue. She didn't seem surprised. Kaede either, but that was to be expected.

"I'll go," Yue said, rolling her staff between her hands.

On her other side, Negi noticed the blonde knight, Emily, give her a sharp glance that didn't look like support of the idea. Nodoka bit her lip, but said nothing.

Seras stepped forward. "I would like one of my other knights to go as well. Yue is a wonderful representative of Ariadne, but my other girls have been watching the Selvens."

"You mean, Beatrix," Collet said, looking to the black-haired girl at her side.

Beatrix nodded. "I will go."

"So Setsuna-san, Chachamaru-san, Yue-san, Kaede-san, Mana-san, and Beatrix-san." Negi said, trying to hide his smile. All of his initial choices were going.

"What about me?" Evangeline said. "I am dead, technically."

"You glare a lot," Asuna laughed. "Your eyes aren't even close to emotionless."

"Kagurazaka, I'm warning you-"

"So that's settled. Now we vote on whether or not to actually let you go," Negi jumped in, drawing Evangeline and Asuna's glares back to him. "I see all of you are willing. But like I said, everyone will get a say in this. All in favor, raise your hand."

Emily and Konoka were the only ones that didn't raise their hand. Nodoka was slow in doing so, but even she lifted a small hand.

"Emily-san? Konoka-san? Why do you say no?"

Konoka went into a rant about it not being safe for her Setchan and how Setsuna's eyes were not dead. When she ran out of stammering protests, she threw her arms around Setsuna and buried her face in the swordsman's shoulder. Setsuna spoke quietly to her as Negi looked at Emily.

The blonde glanced at Yue. "It isn't safe. I don't think we should be risking lives to get a little information. Most likely we won't find anything at this camp anyways. A frontline camp will be cavalry that are expendable. Soldiers sent out to be a buffer for the more valued ones. They are basically there to stall an attack long enough for the real army to get prepared."

"Frontline cavalry also serve another purpose. They watch and report back to the other ranks," Yue said. "If we can't find out something about Selva and their reasons behind this war, we may still be able to learn what they know of our side."

Emily's cheeks turned pink and she crossed her arms, glaring at the mage. "We are still sending a tiny group into a camp full of the enemy. All it will take is for one of you to slip up and you'll be surrounded by a bunch of mindless zombies!"

"Euripides once said, 'Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head'." Yue calmly replied, stepping toward Emily.

"And if one of you is Bound?" Emily countered, not backing down.

"We leave them behind," Mana said from behind her. "Yue said there is no cure. It will be the same as one of us falling in battle. Unless any of us has an objection to that."

Setsuna refused to meet Konoka's gaze. Chachamaru and Beatrix were silent. Kaede shared a glance with Ku, but said nothing. Yue stared Emily down.

Finally the blonde turned away, huffing. "Fine, do what you want. I still say this is stupid." She marched to the back of the group, placing the majority of the girls between herself and Yue.

Negi raised an eyebrow to Kotaro. The dog-boy lifted a shoulder, shaking his head. "All right," Negi said. "So it is decided. We will give you until dawn to gather as much information as you can. If you do not return, I will come after you myself."

"And if we are all Bound," Mana added, fixing her cool stare on him. "You will leave us. I won't ask you to kill us, because I know you can't. But that would be best. Just a thought."

Negi ignored her, feeling a chill run through his blood. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. He hadn't thought about if they were Bound, their power would be against him. He cleared his throat, turning away. "Asakura-san, can you give me the coordinates you collected? Haruna-san. If you would join me in the control room, we need to land. Seras-san, will you prepare the infiltration group?"

"I will."

Negi turned, following Haruna from the deck. As they passed through the door to the inside, Haruna glanced at him. "Well, that was an interesting debate, wasn't it?"

"It was," Negi agreed. "Yue-san's friend had a good point."

Haruna's smile widened. "Her friend, yes."

Negi knew better than to question that odd statement. Girls were still a mystery to him.

XXXXXXX

Yue gathered her satchel. She tugged at the laces of her new tunic, tightening it. All packed, she touched the little black pouch at her hip.

"You know, she was just worried about you." Asakura said, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Who?"

"Emily-san, of course."

Yue snorted. "Class rep isn't worried about me. She's still mad at me for not keeping in touch these last years. Not that I can blame her." She tucked her pactio card into her tunic. "Besides, it's Bea she's worried for. She'll mostly be disappointed I didn't uphold the name of Ariadne if something happens to me."

"I disagree," Asakura said. "She cares for you. Any fool can see that. And I pride myself on being a fool." She grinned.

"She has a funny way of showing it sometimes," Yue said, but she thought momentarily of the times Emily had been nice to her. Of Emily talking about making space for herself in Yue's house. She turned her face, pretending to check her satchel one more time, so Asakura wouldn't see her smile.

"You know, Euripides also said, 'Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness'." Asakura sagely said.

Yue threw a glance at her, raising an eyebrow. "Another magical spout of wisdom?"

"No, I had Chisame-san look that one up for me." Asakura stuck her tongue out. "I do, however, know one from the greatest philosopher of all time." She suddenly lifted her camera, snapping a picture of Yue. "He said, 'Of all our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language'. So I'll be passing this one on to your dear friend out there." Asakura winked.

"Who said that?" Yue asked as Asakura bounced past her.

"Walt Disney, of course." The redhead waved, gone down the hallway a second later.

Alone in the store room, Yue laughed.

XXXXXXX

Emily turned, noticing Collet's attention had turned to the kitchen door.

Yue entered, motioning something to Collet. The knight quickly caught on, making some excuse about needing to see if Beatrix was ready, and left.

Emily, now alone with Yue, sat at the newly returned table. "Here to debate some more about your mission?"

"No," Yue said, surprising her. "You're right. It's dangerous. And highly impulsive."

Emily nodded. "Go on."

Yue's half smile surprised her even more. Her eyes sure didn't look dead now, dancing with amusement. "Well, I was going to ask Nodoka to do something for me, but I think you should be the one I ask instead."

Emily crossed her arms, waiting.

Yue placed a small black pouch on the table. "I need someone to watch after Dallben for me. I don't want to take him, in case things get to crazy."

Emily blinked down at the little pouch, stunned. "Why me?"

That half smile flitted back across Yue's face and Emily felt her stomach flutter. "I just thought it fitting. After all, you've been looking out for me since I became a full knight. You were looking out for me today."

Emily felt her cheeks flush and again cursed herself. "I-it wasn't just you. Bea is going and all the others, too. It's just a stupid idea, is all. I-"

But Yue had already gotten up and moved to the door. In the hallway, Seras's voice called for her. She glanced back at Emily. "I'm saying thank you, Class rep. And, also, I'll see you at dawn."

For a moment the two just stared at each other while Emily fought to reply. Then the knight reached out and pulled the pouch to her chest. "You better be back at dawn, Yue. Or Negi-sama will have to beat me to that camp to drag you out."

Yue clapped a fist to her heart. "It's a promise."


End file.
